This invention relates to an energy storage system, and, more particularly, to such a system for receiving and storing electrical power and releasing the power to an electric circuit.
A multitude of energy storage systems are now on the market. Most include one or more alkaline batteries which are placed in an electrical device to power same. When the battery discharges all of its stored power, it is discarded and a new battery installed.
According to more modern techniques, devices are powered in the above manner, but use batteries which can be charged by a charging current. Thus when discharged, the batteries can be recharged by placing them in a dedicated charging device for charging, and then returning them to the device to be powered. These chargeable batteries are of a special design, usually involving nickel cadmium, and are marketed in multiples, which are referred to as "battery packs". Still other techniques utilize chargeable batteries of the above type that are placed in the device to be powered and, when discharged, the device can be connected to an external source of power when not in use to charge the batteries.
Problems arise when alkaline batteries are used in applications that are designed for chargeable batteries, i.e., circuits which are adopted to apply a charging current to the batteries. More particularly, when alkaline batteries are placed in these types of circuits, and a charging current is applied thereto, the batteries, and therefore portions of the circuit, can be damaged. Moreover, these type of batteries can explode, thus creating a hazard.